Beware of Greeks bearing gifts! Is Alex offering Lyssa his heart, or trying to ensnare hers for more sinister reasons?
How far will the rich and powerful go in order to achieve their goals? That is the question Lyssa must decide when she finds herself caught between two formidible adversaries: powerful business tycoon and shipping magnate Alex Andrakis and close childhood friend 'Dynamic Nell' Winters, brewery heiress and prolific businesswoman.
Following the failure of her marriage in Greece, Lyssa returns to her family home in London, to discover that her mother, a once-celebrated actress, is now facing crippling debts. When Lyssa begins to investigate these, she becomes embroiled in the intricate business dealings of Nell and her arch-rival Alex. Irresistibly drawn towards widower Alex and his unhappy young son, Lyssa begins to uncover some unexpected and disturbing facts.
The more involved she becomes, the more shocking are the discoeries she makes. The conflicts culminate in a frightening battle for survival as Lyssa finds herself the prime target between the possessive Nell and obsessive Alex. With her loyalities deeply divided, can Lyssa make the right choice for everyone concerned?
Excerpt
“Nicky, ela! We’re leaving.” Alex interrupted coldly from the doorway.
Lyssa turned quickly, surprised at his hostile tone.
“Oh not yet, Alex. I want to talk to Lyssa.”
“Now.” Alex’s face looked like thunder.
“But you said—”
“Forget what I said. We’re leaving.”
Lyssa watched him in confusion. “Is there something wrong, Alex? Perhaps I can help?”
He threw her a contemptuous look. “Help? Oh I think you’ve ‘helped’ quite enough. I suppose I must congratulate you on a job well done, Lyssa. I promised to do nothing without consulting you—you might have offered me the same courtesy in return.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your technique, Lyssa. What a clever little trick, but your tactics stink”
“Wait…I don’t understand”
“You ought to have followed your mother onto the stage. Your performance certainly fooled me.” He turned and began pulling the protesting boy up the staircase. She followed them in bewilderment as far as the oak door, where he turned and cast a final, angry look at her. “Goodbye, Lyssa. I wish you and your cunning friend every success.”
“Which friend?” she whispered to herself after he disappeared and before she recalled that she only possessed one.
She turned toward the drawing room where she found her mother pacing the floor in agitation, ramming her stick vigorously into the thick, silken pile of the carpet at every turn.
“What happened, Mother?” Lyssa asked, as she watched the limping figure.
“Poor Alexis is a little upset about it all,” Dame Constance explained. “I didn’t expect him to take it quite so badly—in fact, I’d hoped he might be rather pleased for me. I think I shall go and lie down. That young man has quite exhausted me with all his questions.” She limped toward the door, stopped upon reaching it and half turned to face her puzzled daughter. “And Lyssa…thank you, my dear. Please don’t imagine that I’m unappreciative of your efforts. This is a great load off my mind. Oh, and if you are off to see Nell, why don’t you ask her to dine with us one evening? Or, perhaps I really should ask her myself?” Dame Constance continued to muse over the question as she left the room.
Lyssa stared after the retreating figure of her mother; still an elegant and commanding woman despite her limp and advancing years. Then Lyssa repeated Nell’s name inaudibly, with a slow nod of her head.
Half an hour later, Lyssa confronted her friend in the drawing room of Nell’s Regent’s Park house.
“What have you done, Nell?” she demanded.
“Do come and sit down and stop pacing about, sweetie. It’s been an exhausting day for me and my eyes are too tired for Wimbledon-style exercises right now. What would you like to drink?”
“Nothing! Please answer me. Why is mother suddenly so complacent and Alex so furious?”
“Alex?” Nell’s tone became sharp with contempt. “And do you care if Alex is furious?”
Lyssa knew Nell too well to rise to this bait. She took a seat beside her friend and remained stubbornly silent.
“How much have you been seeing of Andrakis?”
“I refuse to answer your questions, until you answer mine.”
Nell sighed. “Fine. How much has your mother told you?”
“She’s told me nothing, otherwise I wouldn’t be here asking you.”
“From the beginning then?” Nell asked with a dry little laugh.
“Yes, please. From the beginning.”
“Perhaps I should start with the Scottish deal. We clinched it, in case you’re interested.”
“Congratulations. I’m genuinely happy for you. Now can we please return to my mother?”
“Patience, darling, I’m coming to that. You see, I didn’t go to Edinburgh for my little victory. Baxter went instead. I went down to Hove to visit your mother.”
“Really? Why?”
“To offer her a position—on my board.”
Lyssa let out an audible gasp and Nell smiled indulgently at her.
“And I’m pleased to report that I succeeded—quite a little triumph in itself, I think. Don’t look so joyous, my pet, it’s hardly a guillotine offence, so cheer up. In fact, it’s rather a coup, really—a mutually beneficial arrangement. It always looks good to have a famous name on the company paper—and a titled famous name is even better. And in return for her famous name, she keeps the house.”
“I don’t believe it,” Lyssa said when she could finally speak, and even then her voice sounded very faint. “You’ve actually given my mother a job?”
Nell laughed merrily. “Hardly. A seat on the board, Lyss. I don’t expect her to become actively involved in the company in any way, merely to show her famous face a few times a year and pledge her support.”
“And the house?”
“Goes with the seat,” Nell said with a smile.
Lyssa’s face betrayed her dismay. “What you really mean is that your company will own our house?”
“Your expression cuts right through me,” Nell cried out in protest. “What sort of a monster do you think I am? It’s a mere formality. It will automatically revert to you, anyway — just as your father intended.”
“Impossible! I won’t allow you to do that, Nell. As it is, I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done for Mother, but there the charity ends.”
“Who mentioned charity? You can take the house tomorrow, if you wish. I only thought that, for the sake of your mother’s dignity, you ought not to do that just yet.”
Professional Reviews
In Loving Hate - Romance with Teeth and Claws
When Lyssa abandons her failed marriage to her Greek husband and returns to her childhood home, she finds disturbing changes have taken place in her absence. Part of the house was converted into a flat by her late father and she is horrified to discover that her mother is not just renting the flat, but has sold it - to, of all people, a wealthy Greek! What makes the situation even more intolerable is that she finds herself drawn to the attractive young widower and entranced by his young son, Nicky. The plot thickens when her dearest friend, the wealthy and powerful Nell Winters, gets in on the act. Lyssa is caught between her admirer, Alex, and her childhood friend, both of whom are trying to discredit the other. Not to mention the machinations in Greece as her ex-husband works to discredit all three.
If you were hoping for the kind of bland romance that represents the majority of the genre these days, you will be bitterly disappointed with this book. `In Loving Hate' is romance with teeth and claws. Lynette Sofras really knows how to write and everything I have read of hers so far has delighted me. Her plots are complex but believable, her characterisation superb, her language clear, simple and beautiful. I was caught by the first few sentences in this story and held until the end. I loved Alex's lonely child, Nicky, and Lyssa's wildly eccentric and cantankerous mother, the celebrated actress, Dame Constance Culver Danvers. I feared for Lyssa, so vulnerable in the aftermath of her disastrous marriage, and I was afraid she was trusting the wrong people.
Altogether a highly satisfying read.
Lovers of Ms Sofras' work will not be disappointed by this latest offering.
In Loving Hate - The Power of Love and Hate
I really enjoyed this tense tale of big business and romance. It is a very cleverly plotted story; one of greed and power, but also of love and loss.
Lyssa finally flees an unhappy relationship in Greece, only to become embroiled in a hornets nest of problems at home. Her mother, once a hugely successful actress, is facing crippling debt and has sold part of the family home... to Alex, another wealthy influential Greek!
A first, it seems that lifelong friend and business woman Nell Winters, is all too happy to provide both a financial cushion and personal support to Lyssa. However, as the complications of her failed marriage threaten to catch up with her and the rich, charismatic (and rather sexy!) Alex, vies for her attention, the situation becomes confused and charged with emotion.
Nell hates Alex, but why? Who can Lyssa trust?
Smooth writing from Lynette Sofras, and a complete departure from her usual, softer style. It is complex, well constructed novel and it kept me guessing.
In Loving Hate - A Cracking Good Read
The latest novel by this increasingly popular author fully justifies the time it took to hit the bookshops. I have been looking forward to her next work for some time and this one certainly did not disappoint. It cracks along at a fast pace and the tension created in the triangle of the three main characters grips the reader from the beginning. Will Lyssa be able to choose between Nell and Alex, or will their choices over-ride hers? It is easy to identify with the main character (Lyssa) as she struggles to identify the motives which are driving the sometimes mystifying actions of the two rivals for her love. How can she tell who is really looking after her best interests, when both seem to care but also both act in ways which cause her pain or harm?
This is a departure from the straightforward romance novels which this author produced initially but shows a development in technical skill in the way suspense is built up and controlled to keep the reader intrigued. It's hard to say more without spoiling the story for other readers so my advice is to give this book a go - it'll certainly hook you from the beginning if you love romantic suspense!
Love is universal and not limited to the most perfect among us. In this collection of romantic short stories and poetry, love comes to those who are decidedly imperfect, who possess very real human flaws, scars, and challenges. Awaiting us as we are.
